One of the saddest things that has happened in our society is the spread of Urban legends. Someone makes up a story with a few elements of truth, and spreads the story. Usually the story involves politics. Obama was the victim of a recent story that he refused to salute the flag. Among the simple minded the story spread like wildfire, just like it is supposed to. The special interest who don't want health care for everyone have a host of fables that tell bad stories of health care in other countries. Reading The God Delusion I found a very clever Urban legend spread by the anti-abortionist about Beethoven. The story had some silly spin that by all standard it would have made sense for his mother to have aborted him because she had syphilis, and a host of other problems. History does not support the story, but it serves the purpose of the story teller. As the run up to the election approaches stories will spread claiming Obama is a Muslim, and who knows what they will accuse McCain of. Our past elections have featured these popular lies, and probably been swayed by them. If the Gumples at the coffee shop would just read or do a little research.
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